Category: 366 days of novice motherhood

Place: Manly, Sydney

Poison: water

Favourite things: Jeff and Julie

I arrived today in Sydney with my little max and have been overwhelmed with friendship.

I am here to be a part of a pilot creative conference, but I really didn’t want to be here in a random hotel by myself with my little man.

Friends have made this all possible. Friends are the greatest extension of heart and soul. Deep spirited friends.

My day started with my aunty flying on the same flight as us, holding and helping me with Max the whole way. So selfless, so timely, so amazing. It just happened we were flying on the same day.

Then my cousin mike who was picking his mum up, helped max and I get all our luggage off the carousel. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him and it was such a delight to be greeted by family.

Then my dear friend Claudine who had hired a car for us, waited at the hire car place and sorted it all out and then let me follow her in the car (more than an hour out of her way in peak hour traffic) to my other friends house Simone and Lance who leant me a porta cot and gave me dinner and some love.

They then sent me on my way to Jeff and Julie crabtrees house where I am staying. To be meet with hospitality, friendship, a warm heater, special conversations and a cup of tea.

Friendship.
None of this was over organized it just happened.

With people I am so grateful that time and distance doesn’t change our depth of conversation.

I am surrounded by the most beautiful people.

Life is too short to do it alone.

Live extravagantly with friends.

Grateful

A

Place: in bed

Poison: cordial

Favourite things: my own bed

Max has a little tooth coming through. Down the bottom of his mouth, it’s sharp pointy and it broke the surface of his gums today. It’s still got a way to become a whole exposed tooth, but it’s really happening.

He is teething.

Charl and I both said last night, what was God thinking?

Why weren’t we just born with our teeth and why do they get old and fall out?

What is with that?

To see my little one in pain is awful. To see him grow something that hurts him and there is not much I can do to help him.

He just needs to bare it. A bit of panadol, a necklace, a rusk and lots of love.

My poor little man.

If it was an adult I’m sure I would have philosophy on pain brings growth and growth is good. Pain let’s us know how much we have changed, that pain brings about fresh new perspective.

But I’m sorry with my little one, no philosophy can be spouted. It’s just awful to see him in pain.

The only lesson I can draw from this journey of teething, is this…

My heart breaks terribly to see my son in pain. Imagine how much God the father aches when he sees you in pain.

He is the father to the fatherless, he is a God of mercy and compassion. His heart breaks for his people, he longs to help us, but also gave us free will to do our own thing.

We’re off to Sydney tomorrow and I’m excited but hoping Max flys okay.

Teething.

Grr

A

Place: home

Poison: Pepsi Max

Favourite things: spotify

Two words that keep reoccurring lately in my reading and my thoughts are big ones. They are misunderstood, they are lifelines. They are the very heart of God.

Redemption and Refuge.

Today I was reading my current favourite psalm and it finished like this…

‘but the lord redeems those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned.’

It has really arrested my heart today.

Redemption;

Deliverance; rescue

Refuge;

A place or state of safety

The beginning of this year was a time when so much was changing and in some ways I felt really ripped off with some circumstances in my life. It took me a long time to be able to communicate these deep feelings, it took me a long time to even face the reality of what happened. Life truly seemed very unfair in some realms and then in others completely and overwhelmingly generous.

I needed some redemption. I wanted to know that the Lord would bring justice, that he would redeem those who served him so faithfully for such a long time. Redemption and deliverance truly needed to occur.

What do we do when life throws us curve balls that we don’t understand?

How do we respond when we believe friends and family have been wronged?

How do we trust a God that seems to delight in the unusual?

What I have been learning with six months distance between these feelings of discouragement and confusion is the only response that can bring comfort, is finding refuge in something/ someone beyond and trusting in his redemption.

What you sow you reap!

If you sow bitterness, you reap bitterness. If you sow mistrust and gossip, you reap mistrust and gossip. If you sow hatred you reap it.

Live beyond those disappointments that confuse dear friend. Live beyond people’s opinions, decisions and mistakes. Live beyond those deep hurts that try to contain you.

If you reach out and trust a God of redemption and refuge, He ultimately will have his way.

He will bring about his plans and purposes even when people fail us. He will bring his way and his deliverance in
times when we truly don’t understand it.

Basically in the end he will have his way.

The question I am asking myself though…

Do you trust his refuge and redemption
Amanda? Is his ways enough?

What about you?

What do you trust for redemption, in whom do you take refuge?

A

Place: the couch

Poison: toothpaste

Favourite things: connect group

I want to stay awake till 3.30am, I want to, I want to…

I have a 5 month old. I can’t.

Olympic fever is growing and our world is starting to focus on groups of athletes who have given their all to represent their countries.

I love the Olympics. The flag ceremonies make me sing, the mums and the dads if the competitors make me cry, I love to see people excel.

I am sure gym memberships through Olympic seasons must soar. People become so motivated seeing and hearing the stories of the underdog succeeding.

I haven’t been to the gym all week and my body really feels jarred. It’s such a revolving circle. I don’t go to the gym because I feel exhausted, I feel exhausted because I have not gone to the gym, I feel guilty because I haven’t been exercising, so I eat comfort food to make me feel better, then I feel guilty for eating the comfort food and I declare I need to go to the gym.

How do I break this cycle? How do I achieve the heights that these athletes will in the coming days? How do I allow these games to motivate me once again to live a healthy life?

One step at a time.

One day at a time.

One great decision after another.

Get rid of the guilt, find strength again and make great choices.

Gym, tomorrow: you and me- a date!

A